I know very little about tanks historical specs and am asking for a little help. I have been reading on FTR that my favorite tank, M6A2E1 is having its model changed when the HD model is released. From my understanding the current in game model is using the M6A1 hull model not the M6A2 hull model which is prompting this change.

In trying to understand what this means I tried looking stuff up on the Internet. It appears the M6A2 was the unofficial designation of the T1E1, which was a project tank to test the T29 turret and the 105mm gun on a M6A2 hull which had between 82mm-88mm of hull armor at a 30 degree slope.

TLR my 2 questions are...

1 did the M6A2E1 have 191mm of armor like it does in game?
2. Should I be concerned the hull armor will be nerfed upon the HD release?

In short no, the tank built in real life did not have 191mm of frontal hull armor. They never went ahead and up armored the hull as planned because the plug was pulled. (they only ended up building two tanks to test the turrets)

There is a LOT of conflicting info on these series of tanks. short of finding the drawing plans for the T1E1 and the M6A2E1 turret there's not much that can be said to be concrete. (other then a late 1941 T1E2 with it's drawing plans)

+ the only "official" as in primary source info I have been able to dig up on the M6A2E1 itself says the following.

All of this was an estimation, we know it's incorrect as the actual turret when constructed was cut apart to be metallurgical tested.

The front of it was found to be 228mm in a curved section leading to 114mm (I would imagine on the sides). huge increase from the estimated 190.5mm to 127mm frontal.

That throws doubt on the total weight (it was a guess) same with top speed.

Here they call for 66.675 mm of side armor which is higher then anything I have ever seen listed on a M6 type hull. (perhaps they planned to up armor the sides a bit as well)

Then we have to wonder what does 7 1/2 inches basis mean for the front of the hull? do they consider that total armor, or factoring in the slope. what about the armor under the covered plate? is it 7 1/2 inches on the top plate welded + it's slope to get that figure or is it the top plate it's slope + the original hull under it + it's slope to get to that figure.

And if they did end up going ahead and building it would they have added even higher amounts of armor then the called for 190.5 mm? just as they did with the turret front.

The best scenario for the hull front is that it's a spaced plate over the regular hull, thus giving no extended 44mm sides to shoot at through the tracks. Also considerable protection against HEAT spam.

9.9 turret cheek weakspots hugely improved by armouring up from 89mm to 152mm at a sharper angle. Not a hope in hell of any shell penetrating turret cheeks frontally.

9.9 mantlet is taller so there's less to aim at above and below it, also providing a larger area of protection against HEAT.

The turret still isn't T29 strong but it's stronger than it was by a good margin.

Frontal plate appears if I'm guessing right to be:

UFP: 191mm @ 47 = 280mm

LFP: 191mm @ -42 = 257mm

I do not understand why there is a small spaced armour plate below the LFP.

The secondary numbers on the SS appear to be the thickness from the camera angle so obviously from higher up the UFP will be thinner and from low down at a side angle the LFP will be close to impossible.

Bottom line is the frontal armour is increased significantly. The flat band where the armour used to curve between top and bottom giving a vertical strip of 191mm is now a slope of 280mm.

I also would like to know what the side armour on the frontal beak is, I see they left the sides at 44mm. Clearly if the extended hull beak is 44mm on its sides it's an easy choice to shoot through the 20mm tracks into the 44mm side armour if the M6A2E1 ever angles a bit or you get an angle on it.

With the penetration nerfs that weakened the highest pen T8 heavy gold shells you'd now need major luck to beat an M6A2E1 in a frontal fight with any T8 heavy since it now has an obnoxiously thick frontal package with your only options being to aim for the 191mm turret ring and the upper turret section where the 89mm cupola and 44mm roof section is visible.

However the M6A2E1 can turn the turret slightly to the right to reduce the visibility of the weakspot and keep moving to create a horrible target.

If we scrape up a bunch of T8 heavies....

M6A2E1 (if it gets the 105mm buff) @ 205mm and 248mm pen, same as T32

Tiger 2 @ 225 and 250mm pen

VK 4502 @ 208 and 244mm pen

KV4 @ 227 and 255mm pen

IS-3 @ 225 and 255mm pen

AMX-100 @ 232 and 263mm pen

110 @ 215 and 250mm pen

IS6 was a bug splat on the M6A2E1 frontal before this buff so whatever...

However the Lowe and T34 still have almost 300mm pen on gold shells, maybe they will keep that.